Laputa: Adventures in the Floating Island
by NyanCat13
Summary: Sheeta and Pazu, now grown-up and married, tell the story of their amazing adventure in Laputa to their children.


**Laputa: Castle in the Sky FanFic: **

**Laputa: Adventures in the Floating Island **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sheeta, Pazu, Okami, Madge, Mr Duff, the Dola Clan, the Army, Muska, the Giant Robot or any of the other characters. (Except for Ras and Awyr!) I do not own Laputa, or the movie. Please review to tell me what you think! Huge Studio Ghibli Fan! Please enjoy! :) **

"Hurray up!" called a delighted Ras over the meadow to her ten- year- old brother Awyr. Awyr ran to follow his little sister through the feild of wild flowers.

"I'm coming!" he called back, "it isn't easy when you've got a whole sack of coal to carry. You've just got two buckets of water from the stream!"

"They're heavy too!" she complained, "now, quickly, or Mum and Dad will be wondering where we are!"

Awyr sighed. It was hard looking after Ras. Only eight years old, yet as excited as a puppy-and as stubborn as a mule!

"Careful Ras, you're gonna spill some!" he shouted as one of the buckets leant dangerously to the right. "I'm OK!" she cried, "Mum asked me to fetch the water, Dad trusted you with the coal."

"That's me, miners son," laughed Awyr. He looked at the tiny creature that was Ras standing on top of the hilltop with her buckets, in her little pink dress, and aurburn brown hair. She had decided to go barefoot that morning, a bad choice, since it was a mining town. Her feet were always black, and their mother had to wash and scrub them when it was time for a bath. Awyr didn't envy her.

They were nearing the town now. It wasn't so hard to spot the black smoke and soot coming from the chimneys over the grey brick houses. People were already up and about, bustling at the market, trading various items. From their place on the hills, they saw Okami, coming out of her house opening the big green front door to check for any signs of trouble. There was no mistaking that red hair in a bun, and that green, smock-apron she always wore around the house. She was closely followed by Madge, her daughter, who now looked about twelve.

"It's Okami! OKAMI!" screamed Ras jumping about in delight, and running to greet her, spilling most of her water in the process.

"Okami! Okami- Oof!" said Ras, tripping over in the street. She got up, brushed herself down, and ran panting to the door, with Awyr slowly moving behind her.

"Hi, Okami!" "Hi Madge!" Madge came running out of the house in her red checked dress and little pink shoes. Her red hair was done up in plaits with two pink ribbons, and her freckled cheeks were that colour too. The two girls ran to hug each other.

"Hey Ras!" laughed Madge, swinging her round and round, and giving her a short piggy-back yup on her shoulders, "how are you? Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Well, hello Ras," smiled Okami, "how lovely it is to see you!"

"We've just been to get water!" said Ras, climbing off of Madge. "And Awyr's got the coal!"

"Yes, I can see that!" She turned to Awyr.

"Awyr, ya need a hand there?" He was struggling with the huge sack of coal that was swung over his shoulder. "Nah, I'm fine," he lied, and Okami could see right through him.

"I think you look like you need some help," she said, having just noticed a rip in the bag. Without warning, the bag gave way, and hundreds of little black rocks fell out onto the cobblestone road. Madge jumped to attention immediatly and ran to help him pick it up. She got her fingernails all clarted in coal-dust,but she didn't seem to care.

"Thanks," said Awyr nervously. All though he wasn't going to mention it, he had always had a slight crush on the pretty young girl. "It's fine, glad I could help,"" said Madge, fiddleing with one of her red plaits. Although she wasn't going to admit it, she also had a slight crush on the boy.

"And I suspect you got that coal from my husband," said Okami, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup!" smiled Awyr, "Mr, Mr-Duff! That's it! By the way, how's the baby?" Okami patted her stomach.

"Not long now!" she laughed, "probably ready to come out by next month, we presume, I have a funny feeling it's going to be a boy!"

"Ooh, I do hope so!" Madge squealed in delight, clapping her hands, "I've always wanted a baby brother!"

"Well, ya don't want a baby sister, that's for sure!" said Awyr, glaring at Ras. Madge giggled, her mop of red hair hanging in plaits that came down to her shoulders, swinging when she danced around. Awyr blushed a furious shade of scarlett, matching Madge's checked dress.

"Well, I suppose you two had better be getting back before your parents start to worry."

"Oh, your absaloutly right!" Awyr gasped, "come on Ras! We better get going!"

"Awww, do I have to?"

"Yes, we have to, or else we'll never get that soup Mum promised."

"I'm afraid you'll have to go now, Ras," said Okami, "you're Mother makes the best soup in the world, best I've ever tasted anyway!" This gave Ras a sudden change of mind.

"Come on Awyr! Outta my way everybody, coming through here!" she said darting through everyone passing by in the street.

"Hmph! That got her!" Okami laughed, "you better follow her Awyr before she gets into any more trouble. We can't have her bumping into everyone and sloshing water over them."

"Okay-doke! Best be heading off then!" he said, giving one last wave to Okami, and tilting his hat to Madge, who blushed the colour of her dress, and then headed of to the house.

Sheeta had just finished washing the children's cloths in the big black pot that stood in the kitchen sink. She swished them around in the water for a bit, wiping out every last trace of dirt. She folded up the dry ones, and put them in a pile for later. Her husband, Pazu, sat in his big squashy armchair, reading his newspaper. There was a particulary interesting article about flight, the thing that Pazu loved the most, (next to Sheeta of course!) He was reading about the aircraft that belonged to his father, the one that he had discovered a beautiful island-Laputa, the Castle in the Sky, a land shrouded in deep cloud. His father had found it-riding through the skies, like a bird on the wing-then he died, later after returning to Earth. He was called a lier, and that was what killed him. Pazu never forgot the last thing he said to him, "Someday, Pazu, my boy, you will discover a land as beautiful and as magical as Laputa!" And when Pazu was older, he did, along with something even better-he found Sheeta, a captured princess, from the northern mountains of Gondoa, heir to the throne of Laputa. And now, that they were married, Pazu couldn't have been happier. They never told anyone about Laputa, as they wanted to keep it a secret just between themselves.

Pazu folded up the paper, and set it down on the table.

"Could you bring me my pipe please, Sheeta?" he called to her.

"Yes, just a minute!" Sheeta called back. She rummaged around in one of the drawers and pulled out an elegant- looking cigar. She handed it to Pazu, who smiled at her gratefully.

"Thanks, darling!" His kind, and good respect for his wife had not changed since they were kids, and it was a great joy that they had never once argued or quarraled during the time that they were married. He stroked his beard, wondering about the time.

"I wonder where the children are," said Sheeta, "they should have been back by now, hope nothing's happened to them!"

"I'm sure their fine!" Pazu tried to assure her, "they've been away a while before, it's probably those dratted cattle again, never sharing the water in that wretched stream!"

"Well, wherever they are, I hope they're alright," said Sheeta, adjusting a black and white photograph on the mantlepeice above the coal fireplace.

Just then, the door was flung open, and there stood Awyr, with Ras holding is hand.

"We're back!" she announced, "I've got the water!"

"And I've got the coal!" Awyr added, "and that was much harder." Sheeta's face lit up.

"Hello children, where on Earth have you been, we've been waiting for you, we were ever so worried." Ras scuffed at the flooring with her shoe.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," she said, "but we were talking to Madge and Okami."

"Oh, yes?" said Pazu, "I hear she's got a bun in the oven!"

"I know, isn't it exciting!" said Sheeta, "I hope the baby grows up to be as lucky, and as happy as you two!"

"Probably will," said Awyr, "considering that old husband of hers Mr Duff makes enough money a week. He tried to rob me, he did. Tried to charge me extra for one sack of coal!" Pazu stood up. "WHAT!? Why that greedy, old scoundral! What did you do, my boy?"

"I just told him, "take it or leave it," and I handed him the money you gave me and got the coal, after hearing him grumble about it!"

"That's my boy!" said Pazu, ruffleing Awyr's hair. Sheeta peered into Ras' buckets.

"Hmm," she said, "well, I see you brought at least some of the water left!" Ras gave an innocent look and giggle that made everybody laugh. Sheeta chuckled.

"Never mind! I'm sure that's more than enough water to fill your bath! Come inside now, I'm making my special soup soon!"

Ras pratically flew into the hallway, and into the sitting room.

"Daddy, daddy! Oh I'm so glad to see you!" she said flinging her arms around him and giving him a hug.

"Aw, you two my baby girl!" he said giving her a kiss on the nose, resulting in her giggling hysterically, "now, why don't you go and get ready for your bath, your mother should be running it soon!"

Then, Awyr hepled his Dad to unload the coal and light the fire.

"Okay, son," said Pazu, "you take the bag, and empty it into the fireplace and then I'll take the bellow and pump some oxygen into the old thing."

"Sure thing, Dad." Awyr allined the coal out neatly, then Pazu pumped the bellow, and then both wiped their hands on their trousers.

"Great! Now we need the matches," said Pazu, reaching in his waistcoat pocket, and pulling out his old box. He handed them to Awyr, who struck one on the box, and lit the fireplace, and it burst into a roaring flame.

"Well done son," said Pazu, "you'll make a great miner one day."

"Dad?"

"What is it son?"

"What if I don't want to be a miner?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean, what if I want to be a Pilot, or an Adventurer?" Pazu smiled."You will be, son," he said, "I was once. Me and your mother, we were both quite the young explorers back in our day."

Sheeta was in the bathroom, filling up a huge silver basin of water, big enough for them both to sqeeze into. The children hopped into the bath, while their mother washed their hair, and body, wiping away the grime and the events of the day. She had to scrub down Ras' dirty black feet, watching all the coal wash away in the water. She put aside their dirty cloths, and gave them a sponge and a cloth each.

"Here, you two do the rest, I'm off to make the soup," she told them, "hurry up, now!"

"Yes, mother!" said Ras, scrubbing herself down extremly quickly. When they were finished, their mother dressed them into clean night attire and gave them their soup in little bowls. It was the traditional, Leek and Potato soup with some added chives and coriander for good measure, that Sheeta always made for cold, winter nights like these. It could be a harsh winter down in Wales sometimes, and one year at Christmas it snowed it the town for months on end!

"Here we are!" she said brightly, "my famous broth! Eat it all up now, while it's nice and hot!"

The soup warmed them up, nicely and was so good, that not a drop was wasted. They slurped up all the last remaining herbs, and sat back with full, satisfied stomachs.

"Well, kids, your mothers done it again!" said Pazu, patting his stomach. He burped and the children both laughed.

"It's ever so late, yet I'm not tired at all!" said Ras, toppling over as if she was drunk with happieness.

"Yeah, we don't have to go to bed just yet, do we?" Awyr asked.

"Tell us a story!" pleaded Ras.

"Yes! Yes! Tell us a story please!" begged Awyr. Pazu and Sheeta exchanged glanes, as the children looked up at them with big innocent puppy-eyes.

"Well, I suppose you can stay up a little longer for just one story," said Sheeta.

"Yes, just one story couldn't hurt," agreed Pazu.

"Well, what do you want the story to be about?" asked Sheeta.

"How about one from when you and Dad were kids?" suggested Awyr.

"Yeah!" said Ras, clapping her hands, "tell us another story about the floating island!"

Pazu and Sheeta exchanged smiles. They had told their children many times about the glorious place.

"Aah, yes," said Sheeta, "Laputa: the Castle in the Sky."

"A magical land floating high above the heavens, added Pazu, "I'll never forget the time your mother and I travelled to the beautiful place." The children gasped. "You went to Laputa!" said Awyr with wide eyes.

"What?!" Sheeta teased, "surely we've told you that one before!"

"No! You haven't! Tell us that story! Please!" begged Ras.

"Alright," said Sheeta, "you're father and I will tell it together."

"It all started one cold, cloudy night above our village of Slag's Ravine," Sheeta began, "I was about ten or eleven at the time, like your father would have been,and I was a young princess," who had been captured by the army for questioning, about the magical blue crystal around my neck, and was being held hostage by Agent Muska, in the army's giant airship."

"You were a princess Mummy?!" said Ras, amazed.

"I was indeed," said Sheeta, "but I didn't know it at the tme though." Then, all of a sudden, I saw the Tiger Moth coming straight at us, and before we knew it, the airship was invaded by pirates!"

"Pirates!" gasped Ras.

"Pirates," Sheeta nodded, "and they were also after my magic stone. So I knocked out Muska with a green, glass bottle and maneged to retrieve my necklace from his pocket, and tried to escape out the window-a risky buissnus, because the pirates were none other then the Dola Clan, lead by Captain Dola herself and her three sons, and they broke the door down. Just as I maneged to get away from them, I slipped,and fell!"

The children gasped and gupled.

"The fall knocked me out, and I don't remember anything after that."

"Meanwhile, down below on Earth," contiuned Pazu, "I was out picking up some meatballs for my boss."

"Mr Duff."

"That's right, Awyr. Mr Duff. And I was just heading up the hill to the mine, when I saw something glowing and floating slowly down from the sky. When I came closer, I saw that it was your mother. I was convinced she was an angel, who else would float so gracefully down? But then I saw the stone around her neck. My boss was way too busy to notice, so I gave her a bed for the night, and then in the morning, she came to, as I was playing my trumpet to wake everyone up. I made your mother breakfast, and told her about my father, and his airship, and about Laputa."

"But then the pirates found us," said Sheeta, "they started a riot in the street, and Okami helped us, and told us to go out the back. The pirates chased us in their automobile, with us in your father's friend the conductor in his small train. But when we eventually lost him, the army found us, and captured us. They through Pazu in a jail and me in a locked room. Muska told me that he knew my secret family name: "Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa."

"I knew first!" Pazu cut in.

"And Muska said that made me the princess of the floating island. He showed me an artificial being, which he called, a "robot", that came from Laputa, when it fell from the sky many years ago. He was certain that I knew the secret words to activate it's power. I told him I didn't but later that night, I uttered them by accident when they came to me in a memory. It awoke the robot from it's slumber, and I was on top of the tower with it, as it raged destruction on the soldiors."

"While this was going on," said Pazu, "the pirates had intruded my home and kidnapped me, but eventually we agreed to team up to save Sheeta. I released my pet white doves, when I knew I probably would never return to my village, and climbed aboard Dola's flaptor. We flew over the ocean to the secret millitary base, rescued Sheeta and flew back across the sea to the Tiger Moth. All of this took quite a lot of effort, but we made it in the end."

"And then Dola made us both pirates," said Sheeta, "I was very upset about the robot, as he saved my life, before the goverment shot holes through him. I was set to work in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning, and Pazu was set to working on the machinery. One day, we flew into a storm, that nearly blew us off course! But then the white clouds came..."

"And there it was," said Pazu.

"Laputa." They said together.

"Wow." breathed Ras.

"Amazing." added Awyr.

"We explored the island first," said Sheeta, "and then we found more robots, in a garden, the old guardians of Laputa-one offered even me a flower."

"But," continued Pazu, "the army wasn't far behind. They lead us right into a trap!"

"And it turned out that Muska also had a secret name "Romuska Toel Ul Laputa." That meant he was king! He chased me, because I refused to give him the stone. Then I told him that he would never be a great king-and he shot both my pig-tails off!"

The children couldn't belive this. "That fiend!" said Awyr, "just let him try that now! Good thing it's grown back, into long silken locks-Mum, you used to wear your hair in pigtails?!"

Sheeta blushed. "It was a different time," she said, fiddling with a piece of her hair.

"He was about to shoot her ears next if I han't shown up!" bragged Pazu.

"Shut up, you!" said Sheeta, teasingly pretending to swat him away. "It's true though," she continued, "I handed your father the stone to throw away."

"But then I said that she should tell me the spell of destruction," said Pazu, "and we could get out of there. So we clutched the stone, and whispered the spell together. And Laputa crumbled away, and took Muska with it."

"We were saved by the roots. And we met up with Dola and the pirates, who set us back on our kite, and away back to Slag's Ravine."

"But what happened to the stone Mummy?" Ras asked, curious.

"The stone is still up there," Sheeta replied, "glinting as the eye of Laputa."

"And it's been up there ever since we left," added Pazu, "and we haven't told a soul-until now."

"Cool!" said Awyr, "what about Dola? Do you know where she is now?"

"She's living with her sons not too far from Slag's Ravine," said Sheeta, "She'd be a lot older now though-and her sons have probably all got jobs!"

"What, Charles, Louis and Henri? Nah!" laughed Pazu.

"But what about Muska? He's not still around is he?"

"I doubt it," said Pazu, "he's probably dead. No one could surive a fall like that, without the necklace."

"I wish I had a pretty pendant to wear," sighed Ras.

"Hm, I think I can fix that," said Sheeta, getting up and raking in the top drawer of the desk that stood in the corner of the room. She pulled out five glowing pendants, each exactly like the one Sheeta used to obtain, and all differnt colours, and each with the Laputan symbol.

"Oh, how beautiful!" said Ras delightedly.

"These aren't the originals of course," Sheeta explained, "there hasn't ever been another pure Atherium crystal since my glowing stone. These were specially mined in the place your father works in, mysteriously after Laputa collapsed. Mr Duff kindly let us keep them. Now, which one would you like?"

"Ooh, a blue one please," said Ras, pointing to an indigo stone, "like the one you had Mummy!"

Sheeta fixed a string around it, and hung it around Ras' neck.

"They have been passed to down to females in my family for generations," she said, then she turned to Awyr, "Awyr, would you like one?" Awyr peered closely at the irradescent, shining gemstones, glittering like stars before him.

"I'll have this one, please," he said, choosing a bright red one. Sheeta fixed a string for him, as well, and hung it around his neck.

"Very fetching!" grinned Pazu.

"They are like good luck charms," said Sheeta, "they will protect you from danger, from only reciting a few words, and will take you out of trouble. I'll teach you the words when you're old enough, just like my Grandmother taught me."

"The words?" the children asked.

"They are Laputan words," Sheeta told them, "not too different from our own Welsh language."

"But we speak English Mummy," said Ras confused.

"Maybe now," said Sheeta "but many years ago, we all spoke another language altogether. It's quite hard to understand, but the words are never far from you."

"What do you mean Mum?" asked Awyr.

Sheeta laughed. "Your names are Welsh! "Awyr" is Welsh for "Sky", and "Ras", means "Grace". They are always with you, along with that of your ancestors."

"Wow!" said Awyr, "someday, I'm gonna go to Laputa, and discover it all over again."

"That's right son, and someday you will. Now!" said Pazu, clapping his hands,"off to bed, it's way past midnight!"

"Oh goodness, yes look at the time," said Sheeta, looking at the old antique clock that also had the Laputan symbol on it, " come on children, time to say goodnight!"

"Okay! Goodnight Mummy! Goodnight Daddy!" said Ras hugging both of them.

"Night!" called Awyr, holding the door open for Ras.

Later that night, Pazu and Sheeta, opened the door of the children's bedroom a crack, careful to be quiet. They were sound asleep in their beds, with the stones still around their necks, glowing in the darkness.

"Aw look," said Sheeta.

"Looks like that story tired them out!" whispered Pazu, "they'll be dreaming of flying castles and pirates and huge airships, no doubt." They walked to each of the beds and gave Awyr and Ras a kiss on the cheek each.

"Well, let's leave them then." said Sheeta, "to dream of adventure."

Pazu closed the door, and the parents walked silently down the corridor, laughing at the memories, leaving their children to rest their heads on their pillows, dreaming of clouds, and airships, and sailig through the skies...

**Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to tell me what you think! :) **


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